On the blog this week I thought I’d share some meaningful ways in which I have recently experienced the presence of God. Yesterday we explored how in a roundabout way, the story of Uzzah in 2 Samuel does give us a message of hope. We can experience God’s presence through Christ living in our hearts.

There have been countless moments in life I’ve known God to be close. I’ll highlight a few encounters, songs, and other things that have recently impacted me from the past few weeks!

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The Great Outdoors

I mentioned that I was on vacation to Banff National Park in Canada last week. We filled our days with many outdoor activities like hiking, rafting, and climbing. As we saw all the glaciers, mountains, rivers, and wildlife, it was undeniable how incredible God is. Our world may be broken, but we can still see God’s fingerprints in the order and majesty of creation! So recently, nature has obviously been an impactful way I’ve felt God’s presence. Here are a few photos from our adventure:

 

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“Kingsfold” Hymn Tune

While I was at a conference in Texas last month, one of the hymns we sung for a clergy memorial service was “Come Let Us Join Our Friends Above” to the tune of Kingsfold. (If you aren’t musically-inclined, many of our hymns and songs can be sung to different tunes!). This classic organ tune was absolutely stunning as we remembered several pastors and their spouses who had died within the past year. During this service, I remember feeling the comforting presence of God as we reflected on these words by Charles Wesley:

Our spirits too shall quickly join,
like theirs with glory crowned,
and shout to see our Captain’s sign,
to hear this trumpet sound.
O that we now might grasp our Guide!
O that the word were given!
Come, Lord of Hosts, the waves divide,
and land us all in heaven.

Death is a tough thing to face, but with our eyes fixed upon Christ–our Captain and Guide–we too can experience heaven, just like our loved ones do now.

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“So Will I” by Hillsong United

This is a rather long song, but it definitely touches me every time I hear it. Hillsong United is one of my favorite Christian bands, and they capture the wonders of the world around us, from billions of galaxies and a world filled with creatures, to Jesus dying for our sins.

I got ordained last month (yippee!), and one of the songs we sung was another classic Wesleyan hymn. Singing this as we entered the sanctuary really captured the joy of the evening… and it also reminded me of the calling I have as a pastor to invite others to experience that same love of Christ!

Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, to earth come down;
fix in us thy humble dwelling;
all thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation;
enter every trembling heart.

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So as you think about God’s presence this week, consider all the ways God might speak to you. Maybe it is through a song or hymn you heard on the radio or at church. Maybe it could be reading a bible passage during a time of need. Maybe it could be through the fellowship of Christian friends. Regardless of how your experiences go, remember to always cherish those encounters with God!

I briefly touched on Saul’s death yesterday during the sermon. Saul gradually entered into a downward spiral, with episodes like the witch of Endor, trying to kill David, and so on. At the very end of 1 Samuel, Saul kills himself instead of surrendering to the Philistines during battle:

The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically. Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.” But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day. (1 Samuel 31:3-6)

One of the important practices of the Christian faith is to continually relate the words of the bible to what we experience in the world around us.

So today as I personally reflect on Saul’s gruesome death, I cannot help but think of the tragic news from this past week. Kate Spade, a fashion designer, and Anthony Bourdain, a food/travel television personality, both committed suicide. When we read about these kinds of stories, we often feel a mixture of sadness, guilt, worry, anxiety, and other emotions. We might think how in retrospect, we should have seen warning signs. We also reflect on the tension of having a seemingly put-together public life, while internally struggling with personal darkness. Things like depression are not limited to one particular social group of class. People from all different walks of life might face it.

Perhaps we think to ourselves, Is there someone in my life who might feel that hopeless? What can I do about that?

Yesterday I preached about how Saul is a cautionary tale to us regarding the spiritual realm and letting go of loss and grief. Saul also shows us the tragedy of feeling so hopeless like there is no way out.

About 45,000 Americans die by suicide each year. Half a million people also are treated for self-inflicted injuries each year, too, which are often connected to failed suicide attempts. And tragically, rates continue to rise overall. Here are some other facts about this epidemic:

• The elderly and those 45-54 years of age are often among the most vulnerable demographic.
• Men are four times more likely to commit suicide than women.
• Firearm usage accounts for half of suicides.
• 1/3 of suicides occur while under the influence of drugs of alcohol.
• Suicide is often an impulsive act. In other words, talking through a problem or crisis greatly decreases the likelihood of suicide (that’s why helpline phone numbers are often life-saving!).

The reality is that the same struggles Saul faced still plague us today, too.

It might feel like life is too much to bear. It might feel like you are all alone. It might even feel like your in Saul’s shoes with enemies or troubles surrounding you, and that there is no way out.

But the truth of the matter is that God will never forsake us. God is always with you, no matter how hopeless you might feel. We are all created in God’s image–that is something that nobody could ever take away. You have unsurpassable worth. Your life has meaning and a purpose. And more than anything, God wants us to know and experience the precious love of Jesus.

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Resources:

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.

Veterans Crisis Line- 1-800-273-8255 +1

Arkansas Department of Health Suicide Prevention Initiative (non-Crisis Center, educational programs)- 501-683-0707

The Crucified God by Jurgen Moltmann

Moltmann was a well-known theologian from the 20th century. His life story shaped his professional trajectory as an academic focused on reconciliation and hope. Moltmann was drafted into World War II to fight for the Germans and fell into deep depression and disillusionment when he was captured. An Anglican priest gave him a bible in the POW camp and he soon discovered the life-changing message of Christ. After the war, he devoted his life to proclaiming this good news.

The Crucified God has one major idea: If we want to know what God looks like, we have to look at Jesus on the cross. God is not domineering or violent. Neither is God distant nor detached from worldly suffering. Instead, God’s true character is revealed by Christ as he died for humanity. Jesus on the cross was essentially God revealing to us that God loves us and wants to meet us exactly where we are.

I enjoy reading, but every once in a while I’ll come across a book that truly touches my heart. The Crucified God was one of those few ones that really summarized how I believe God to be. God loves this world so much he was willing to die for each one of us. With this understanding, the cruelty of the crucifixion transforms into something so hopeful and redemptive.

Kill All Normies by Angela Nagle

There are some truly dark things on the internet. If you’ve ever wondered why people post cruel and depraved content (dealing with rape, child molestation, genocide, and other threats of violence), then this book might provide some sort of explanation.

Angela Nagle reports on tech issues, particularly social media and its impact on our world today. Kill All Normies explores the darker side of the internet, and how so much content nowadays is pure hatred, racism, and other unsavory things. The rise of hate-content on the internet has to do with a couple of different factors. First and foremost, being anonymous allows people to hide behind a keyboard, screen, or fake profile. Additionally, there is a unique phenomenon known as trolling, where people intentionally try to provoke a negative reaction from others. This of course leads to all sorts of dark things one might find on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and 4Chan. People joke about child abuse, murdering African Americans, or assaulting women.

Kill All Normies didn’t have much to do with theology or religion, and was a sobering read, but I enjoyed it just because of how insightful was on our current media landscape. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter are often incredibly divisive and toxic. For these reasons, it is important for us to be aware of our surroundings, and more importantly, as Christians we must be like Jesus in what we post and share with our online community.